Pericles: Born in a Tempest

Hunger & Thirst Theatre and the Guerrilla Shakespeare Project production pares down Shakepseare's sprawling tale, distilling the rarely-produced romance into a heartwarming story of the rejuvenating power of family.
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The personal storms we encounter during our lifetime are often even more turbulent than the raging tempests sailors experience on the high seas. 'Pericles: Born in a Tempest' is an inventive 90-minute reimagining of the seafaring adventure that places it within a fresh new context: Prince Pericles' journeys come to vivid life for a modern-day woman as she immerses herself in a book her recently deceased father gave her.

“A unique and compelling, psychologically sound, serious and often hilarious story of loss, struggle and ultimate redemption through the resolution of conflict that only profound understanding can achieve...Beautifully conceived and directed...The stellar company of actors...profoundly skilled...physically adept...able to bring forth complex serious emotions as well as hilarious surprises. They handle the language with perfect precision and clarity."
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"While the play is a little slow to start...it bounds into liveliness once 'Pericles' himself joins the party. The spell cast by the storytellers then reaches its full potency...Director Reeves synthesizes what should be disparate styles into the only elixir which could coax this woman out of her grief - the joy of play, and the romantic sweep of the story...The cast is uniformly strong...The dichotomy of the storytelling is beautifully rendered by the contrast within the design."
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"A heartwarming rendition of 'Pericles'...Director Jordan Reeves manages to achieve clarity in this complex story with delicious simplicity, while liberally applying whimsical, contemporary references...The production features a team of captivating performers who commune in verse but make it sound so natural that they might as well be your next-door neighbors...I was overjoyed to witness the story being told in such a palatable and moving way."
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“A transcendental adult fairy tale. The creators indeed honor Shakespeare’s original vision, complete with the Bard’s genuine dialogue. But through this new re-imagining by creator/director Reeves, THIS ‘Pericles’ takes on a vibe that’s both fantastical and heart-tuggingly real...Accented with humor and performed with zest by a young cast...Hunger & Thirst prove that imagination— with a good dose of creative passion— can go a long way in reinventing a classic.”
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“A powerful piece about family that will leave a lingering impression if not an ache in the heart...The cast comprises only five performers...all notably skilled actors...Reeves’s choice to make this a story-in-a-story at first seemed awkward and unnecessary, but by play’s end it’s the relationship established in those first minutes that connects Shakespeare’s story with the audience, making it living and visceral...A surpassingly good piece of independent theater.”
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"The story takes off far beyond the simple reading of the text. It takes us to places and times with an ease...The creative team, the cast, and the director all work wonders balancing the mythical fantasy and the reality of these four mourners with a perfectly timed expertise...Thanks to some inventive direction wonderfully executed by the creative team and cast, we are given a solid charmer of a play."
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"One of the biggest payoffs for this intimate approach comes when the show complicates Pericles' climactic reunion in a clever and emotionally powerful way. On a lighter note, it also allows amusing speculation for the audience...The cast play their multiple roles with aplomb...'Pericles: Born in a Tempest' is lively, funny, and affecting: a great opportunity to hear an old song newly sung."
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“A play within a play, 'Pericles' is stripped to the essentials with a reimagining of a seafarer’s adventure...Reeves’ concept and direction, along with the design team, was thoughtful, creative and respectful of the space...Together, all the elements of the production (sound, projection, lighting, costumes) created a subtext that allowed the story to unfold. This was a well-crafted production with talented cast to support it.”
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See it if
you like classic plays staged in classic ways yet with excellent innovations in said staging

Don't see it if
you only want completely serious Shakespeare, without, say, a well-placed Batman cameo

Also
I'm typically skeptical of tech in theatre, but this show did an excellent job with the projections onto the walls of the set. Really expanded the possibilities, most notably for the shipwrecks.

The 90-minute run time was an impressive cut, and the story was fully intact nonetheless.

The frame story placed around Pericles opened up a lot of staging possibilities, including a few of our favorite moments; and it brought this rather obscure text into relief as something emotionally relevant to modern life.

Finally, in contrast to the only other production of Pericles I've seen (which I also adored), this show did an excellent job of communicating how he ages over the span of the play. He seemed so young at the beginning, and really felt like an old, dying man at the end. His final conversation with Marina finally made perfect sense. Just one of many excellent staging/prop/costume choices in this great show.... Read moreRead less

Also
Tender and raucous, church theater and clever staging, familiar and fresh. After a bit of a slow start, the play takes on the problems of the Tempest and weaves them together in endearing ways.... Read moreRead less

Don't see it if
One very weak actor and one overblown scene by another kind of killed this play for me. +I didn't understand the device framing the play

Also
Although part of this is set in contemporary times (not sure why) all dialogue is Shakespeare's so don't go if you can't handle Elizabethan English. BTW - I love this theater. It's my second time there. Great sight lines, comfortable seats, interesting angled black box theater. Don't let the entryway throw you off.... Read moreRead less

See it if
you want Pericles made accessible by significant trimming. Well-spoken WS, well-acted. Imaginative. clever direction. Hard-working cast.

Don't see it if
you expect a highly polished piece. Broad portions (eg the suitors' battle) undermine the flow. Framing device takes up too much time/space.

Also
I liked this production, but I found the framing device intrusive. I'm not sure why it was necessary (and the baby was distracting!) Because the action is sped up and actors play many roles, it would be helpful to read a plot synopsis before attending.... Read moreRead less

See it if
you’ll watch a small troupe’s valiant, thoughtful effort at making Pericles engaging; you can wait until the very end to be drawn in.

Don't see it if
you‘re hoping for “translated” Shakespeare. This is Shakespeare’s text and closer to Pericles than I expected—but abbreviated & rearranged.

Also
I really want to give a higher score since the effort is so apparent and the message so positive in this show…but it just took too long for this play to come alive (it eventually does, quite successfully, but at the tail end). It’s not for lack of trying—there are hidden entrances, eye-catching projections, clever use of action figures…but the love stor(ies) and the brothel story lacked charm. I kept waiting to get hooked in. The production has a (thankfully) clear point of view/angle it’s approaching the source play from, and I believe the cuts/revisions were thoroughly considered. I think the directorial decisions made sense in theory but in practice it felt like listening to a shaggy dog story with a surprisingly impactful ending.

Will help a lot to brush up w/ a summary of the play before going in.... Read moreRead less

See it if
You like to see actors playing many different roles. The use of the prop playing the fake baby is the best I have seen

Don't see it if
You’re like me and have never been able to understand anything this Shakespeare idiot has ever done. Why do people pretend they like this?

Also
This is more of a negative review on me than the play. Apparently I am in the minority here. Every review on here is great which is why I decided to come to see this play tonight. I can tell you I didn’t understand one thing that happened on that stage tonight. And it’s not like this is the first play I have seen. I have seen over 120 players this year and this is by far the most confusing one I have seen. I’m not sure if people just pretend to like this Shakespeare guy because it’s the cool thing to do or if they actually understand his work. If you are one of the people who understand it I must say I am completely jealous of you because I just don’t get it. My friend was visiting from out of town and he was just as perplexed as me... Read moreRead less